The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-20

able to criminal indictments. A week ago the
elements in the general executive board which
constituted the chief opposition to Powderiy at
Minneapolis got together as many enemies OF
the grand master workman as they could, and
formed a provisional committee, whose pur-
pose it is to demand from Powderly and the
general executive board an account of the f.
nances of the order since they nave relgnsd
Powderiy il is said. has promised to appear be-
fore the committee. 1t is not expected that ne
will have any statement ready. He Will prooa-
bly, try to stave off the matter as long as posi-
BILE The provisional committee has
very searching questions ready.
Powderlys treasurer. it will be remembered
reported at the Minneapolis convention tnat
half million dollars had come into the treasury
since the convention at Richmond. ana tnae
there was a balance hand or S0.f9A he
rather took away the breath OF the delegates oy
announcing that nearly 100000 had been ex-
pended in salaries. But this might have been
forgiven if the rest OF the expenditures had been
accounted for. No other bill was given except
hotel bill of some of the officers and their wives
in Philadelphia One of these oficersi wives
STAYED at the hotel two days. and one of the sub-
items in this bill was s23 for washing This
wash bill astounded the delegates aed excited
in them a burning curiosity to find out if the re-
mainnc s400, GOO was spent in keeping white the
linen of the Philadelphia satraps and their
families. Bailey and Barry, Powderlvs chief
opponents in the executive board. have been
specially curious about the big Gum unaecounted
for, and to their efforts is due the existence OF
the provisional committee.
The committee Is very much in earnest It
proposes to compel the gentlemen of the COR
ceous palace open their books. even if legal
proceedings have to be resorted TO- Last sun
day evening the committee prepared formal
demand for itemized account of expenses for
the last year. and resolved that sut in court
should be begun if the demand were not COM
piled with. This is the most dangerous attack
tfat has ever been made on the Powderly ring.
Hundreds of thousands OF dollars, according to
the treasurer's late report. have been expended
for secret work" If the books are produced in
court. il will be seen what this secret work 10.
No one expects that il viii prove to be anything
to the credit of the ring. for it has SO persist
emily refused to plain to its associates what
e''secret work means that grave suspicious have
been excited.
If it comes to an open war. those men of the
provisional committee propose to leave the
order and form the Brotherhood of Labor. q
rival organization. With the large accessions
which they would gain in an open revolt they
expect that thew could prosecute a suit with
greater force. They have received assurances
of support from the district assemblies of Chi
and Detroit. from the excluded Carpet
workers Assembly. and from the Montanks, OF
BROOKLYN. The Federation of Labor would no
doubt. lend a helpine hand, too. in rerern brance
of Powderly's bitter war against the trades
unions.
The principles of the knights are essentially
antagonistic TO the first ideas OF American
workmen, and workmen themselves acknowl-
edge that.this is the cause of the organization's
cola pse. The principle on which it was founded
was the same that underlies the gevernment
Russia-6espotism. Capitalization OF
power and total ignoring or the autonomy
of the various interests that entered into
its composition. just at the oprortune mo-
ment the American Federation of Labor came
into existence and offered shelter TO
the disaffected Knights. The Federation prom
ised order of things; that the unions
should be recognized in their trade capacities;
that the general organization should assist the
unions in trouble with employers, but should
not interfere; that strikes should be settled
solely by the unions affected, and that there
should be no interference in the way of trade
III ioha Eada Gad n
democratic government similar TO that which
binds the States together Each union was to be
supreme in all matters not affecting the Others
The Knights after their experience of despot-
ism, found these promises attractive. and went
over to the Federation in large numbers. The
new or6er numbered %, 900 men at the time of
its organization 1t now claims to have three
quarters of a million. The Office of the presi-
dent is in little room back OF cigar store
near Franklin square. His salary IS $1,000
year. and he has secretary.